My cooking crush, Ina Garten, made minestrone on her show the other day and it really looked great – so I decided to give it a try – only using things I can get year round, because in the winter, our vegetables in Western CO are questionable, at best.
This turned out great and Maddie and Todd gave it 2 thumbs up – Aerik, who is a vegetable hater, was not amused, but he ate most of it anyway. We grated a little parmesan cheese on top and served with whole grain french bread. You could make this vegetarian by eliminating the chicken stock and using veggie stock!
Enjoy!
Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 medium uncooked potato peeled & chopped
- 4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can Cannelini Beans drained
- 8 cups chicken stock low-fat, low-sodium
- 1 Cup ditalini or elbow pasta
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce optional
Instructions
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In a large dutch oven heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add in onion, celery and garlic. Saute until fragrant but not brown - garlic will burn!
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Add in carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Saute for another 10-15 minutes until carrots and potato start to soften, add in beans, tomatoes, and broth and remaining spices and stir well.
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Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Let simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
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10 minutes before you're ready to serve, toss in the pasta and increase the heat a bit. Serve when pasta is Al Dente!
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Enjoy!
